Novak Djokovic ended a 2014 title drought in epic style today edging rival Roger Federer 36, 63, 76(3) in a thriller to win his third Indian Wells title.

Djokovic had struggled for much of the tournanment and today was in trouble again, but then turned it around winning the third set. After going up a break in the third, Djokovic served for the match at 5-4 but like Saturday against John Isner, nerves go the better of him. But eventually he rebounded to take the tiebreaker.

“As I said before the match today, very few points will decide a winner, and that’s what happened,” said Djokovic. “Roger is playing in a very high level…. He just played better than he did in the last 13, 14 months. I needed to really be in the top of my game and very concentrated the last moment in order to win. That’s what I’ve done. Very proud of my achievements during this tournament.”

All three of Djokovic’s Indian Wells titles have comes in three sets, and four of the six wins he had this week went the distance.

“The way I won this title is something that makes me very happy and gives me mentally a lot of satisfaction because I have had specifically these three matches against [Marin] Cilic and yesterday’s semi-final and today’s final, situations where I played three sets where it was very tense, very emotional,” said Djokovic who won 99 points to Federer’s 98.

“A few points really here and there could go either way, and then it went my way. I stayed mentally tough, and that, for me, is something that gives me a lot of encouragement and hopefully a confidence boost for the rest of the season.”

Djokovic has now won his last three Masters 1000 events and will carry a 16 match win streak at that level into Miami.

Roy
Nah. It just shows the weak era thing is a myth, promoted by roger haters to downplay his achievements.
Everyone saw the roger of 2006. He was invincible then. And stil a 33 year Federer is not only troubling the top guys but beating them. This just shows the greatness of this legend. I won’t be surprised if he lifts wimby this year. His resurgence is real.

2004-2007 wasn’t the toughest era but it wasn’t a weak one either. And Federer is very much capable of dominating any era of tennis.

As for Miami, if I was a betting man, I’d put my money on Novak.

I don’t know how good Nadal is right now. He struggled with depth on his shots and the serve. If he played like he did at IW, he’ll lose to another in form player before the final.
I’ll need to see his first match to see if he can win the title or not.

Murray hasn’t been playing that great. The good news for him and his fans is, he’s always done well in Miami. I think he’ll do better in Miami than he did at IW. Don’t be shocked if you see him play his first final of the year.

I’m not sure Federer can get to the final in Miami. I see him lose in the QFs. The same goes for Stan.

I didn’t get to see the match, tried to follow livescore, which was great. So I can say! What a match! Congratulations to Novak, duro, sar. Excellent play from your man. Wonder if Becker will be given a break for a while?

Congratulations to the legend who is Roger Federer. So Close. As Novak said, no favourite for this final. Both played with heart and guts.

Congratulations to Novak !! His third Indian Wells title and 17 Master Series titles. What a career !! If there is one player who can challenge Rafa in Master Series victories it can only be Novak. I do not believe in sentiments, but coincidentally the return of Marian Vajda proved to be lucky for Novak yet again. Nodoubt Becker would be watching this with interest but the call will be taken by Novak. Now that Novak has started the year with a bang by bagging the first Master series title, he will be full of vigour and confidence and this should stand him in good stead at the clay court season. With Rafa looking a bit jaded, Novak should surely be counting his chances for bagging his first Rolland Garros title and thereby breaking the Rafa stranglehold on the tournament just like he did at Montecarlo.

Michael congrats and commiserations at the same time,but Rafa not been at his best is not necassarily a shoe that Novak will win the FO,dont get carried away its too soon for that,dont get me wrong its a nice win but Stan,Andy and Rafa were not at their best and Novak was rather lucky against Isner,and hes hardly started the year with a bang he lost at his best GS,and doesnt hold one,IMO Rafa,Stan and Andy have another level to go uo yet,so i think you should hold off putting Novaks name on the FO trophy,and writing Rafa off just yet.

Margot lol true,anyway i dont buy Michaels theory,that Rafa losing on clay RG or wherever,means its a shoe that Novak automatically will,nor do i think Novak is a dead cert to win every title everywhere,or is unbeatable everywhere either,Andy,Stan,Rafa,Roger as well as many others have beaten him,and as he said to me only days ago,one swallow does not make a summer.

Go to the thread “IW Final: Fed vs Novak, Who’s The Pic?” Read my post 3/16 @6:00pm……I didn’t get not one comment one way or the other. I wonder why??But had it been the other way around…..Oh my, we’d never heard the end of it……just saying!

http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2014-03-16/15161.php
@Okiegal. I did read your comment 3/16 @6 pm. Am posting the thread as well.
Rest assured if it was Rafa and Toni there would have been a new thread by now with at least 200 comments. Funny how posters cherry pick comments they feel need elaboration.

My thoughts exactly…..my post did not get one response. Pam Shriver heard what V said. Commentators said something to Pam about coaching.
And yes, if it had been you know who, we’d never heard the end of it! I dont want to be a nit picky nag, but some time I want to have my say like everyone else does!

Okiegal yeah such is the double standards on this forum,yeah indeed had this been Rafa Sean wouldve put up a thread about it,and there would be around 300 coments on the subject by now as sure as god made little green apples,we wouldnt have heard the end of it,anybody else and nobody wants to know,dont get me wrong Rafa should be called out but so should the others,all i would say to other posters is lets be fair is all,no such luck though.

For me, if there is any player who can take on Rafa with confidence on clay, it is only Novak. I am not saying for sure that Rafa will lose on Clay. But I am considering those possibilities by putting Novak into picture. Ofcourse Novak had a mixed year so far and his Australian open loss was a bit of shocker, but he can take consolation from the fact that he lost to the eventual Champion. And Dubai too, he lost yet again to Roger who won the Championship. So, naturally he was a little bit downcast. But this Indian Wells win should surely have primed him up and given him some amount of confidence. It remains to be seen if he can take this momentum going forward. I hope for himself and his fans sake that he does. Now his next mission should be complete the double by winning Miami and repeat his 2011 sequence of victories ? If he does win in Miami too, then I think he would be unstoppable this year. It is going to be a tall order for sure, but Novak possesses the capabilities to convert challenges into opportunities.

Michael the tour doesnt revolve around Rafa or Novak,you seem to think Rafa losing on clay is somehow all of a sudden a shoe for Novak,and you seem to think Novak is somehow unbeatable everywhere else too and automatically pencil him in for every title going,i suppose its pointless everybody else actually playing tennis as he is so invincible ?i know your hoping for a year like 2011 but its 2014 not 2011,and 3 years have past since then, i hope for an open and well contested year not a year like 2011 urgh,competition is whats enjoyable in sport not domination IMO,unless your a fan of that particular player i suppose?

^To add i dont think losing to an eventual champion is somehow a consolation,as losing is losing whichever way you cut it sounds like bizzare logic IMO,anyway i hope Andy,Stan,Delpo,Rafa etc can step it up a notch,as none of those players have been at their best lately,all were off their games at IW,Novak was lucky against Isner,whom choked away all those set points,Novak is beatable as it was proved many times last year,as he has been this year too,and for the 1st time since a while doesnt actually hold a GS.^

TA ive never believed its as cut and dried as that, it would be pretty sad if that were the case,many fans like more than one player,i have spoke to some Federer fans on this very forum who have Murray as their second favorite,and hes my second favorite too,some dont have a second favorite,although i remember watching the USO semi in 2011 Novak v Roger and one supposed Federer fan said when he was at match point,please Roger i beg of you please for the sake of your legacy dont win this match,and another saying if Roger wins i hope he meets Andy Murray in the final,as he has no chance against Rafa,which were pretty pathetic comments IMO,and i had to ask myself were they fans of Federer or just his legacy?

TA some people latch on to winners,in football i have many friends who became Man UTD fans when they were winning everything,and some that were fans right from been ankle biters when they were crap,you can tell the real fans from the glory hunters,as for your question its an interesting one,and certainly gives food for thought?

I think really they should be hoping Federer himself can add to his legacy,rather than hoping Nadal will fail in his?ie rooting for ones favorite to suceed rather than wanting their rivals to fail IMO?